What is the president smoking?

Lisa Fogarty, The Stir: "President Obama kind of just went for it when he revealed in an interview with The New Yorker that he considers marijuana less dangerous than alcohol. Depending on how you feel about the drug, this is either one of the most dangerous statements a president has made in a long while, or the most obvious one ever. ... I've been in the presence of plenty of people who had both been drinking alcohol or smoking pot, and it always seems like those who had smoked were able to make far better decisions than those who had been drinking. Likewise, we can link tons of health problems to alcohol consumption. Marijuana — not so much. ... I feel Obama had every right to voice his opinion on pot."

Jacob Sullum, Forbes: "Obama is not really going out on a limb by acknowledging that alcohol, measured by acute toxicity, accident risk and the long-term effects of heavy consumption, is more hazardous than marijuana. On the face of it, he would be taking a bigger risk by endorsing the theory of evolution. Yet news outlets around the world are treating Obama's comment as a big deal because it contradicts official U.S. policy. ... Obama also seemed to contradict his own avowed opposition to decriminalizing marijuana, portraying legalization in Colorado and Washington as a solution to the racially disproportionate impact of pot prohibition."

Juan Cole, Informed Comment: "Obama has a weed problem. Not just that he's admitted using it. He said clearly when campaigning for president in 2008 that he approved of medical marijuana. Yet his attorney general, Eric Holder, and his Department of Justice went on to launch punitive campaigns against legitimate marijuana businesses operating within state law. ... Now Obama comes out and says pot is no worse than alcohol. So was he not in control of Holder and the Department of Justice? ... What explains this massive hypocrisy and willingness to ruin people's lives to enforce a prohibition he doesn't agree with?"

Martin Longman, Washington Monthly: "Maybe it is a sign of the times, or maybe it's the liberation of not needing to seek re-election, or maybe it's just Obama, but it's refreshing. ... He wasn't a hypocrite about his pot smoking ... but a lot of parents who want to discourage marijuana smoking in their kids are not going to thank him for it. The thing is, what he said was correct."

Benjamin Cosman, PolicyMic: "Obama has given those who favor marijuana legalization the ammo they need for a battle at the federal level. ...There is a good deal of evidence to support Obama's argument regarding marijuana versus alcohol, so maybe it's time to consider making marijuana legal, too. But the bigger issue here is exactly who suffers from outdated marijuana laws. ... It's disproportionately the poor and minorities."